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BETTING "A VUG'S
G6AM E," SA Y S
CB?HURNCHMJAN
ETTING was a "mug's game" which undermined
interest in healthy sport, the Rev. J. R. Blanchard said
Iat the Presbyterian Assembly today.
T\'THILE regretting that betting
shops were to be revived in
country districts. the church's life
and work committee, of which he
is convener, hoped that in their
i\Cw form. many evils of the old
type betting shop would be elimi
nated.
But the committee still felt resi
dents of a district should have the
right to say under local option
whether such premises were de
sired or not.
During' the eight years of the
betting shops' activities in South
Australia, the total betting shop
turnover was £38,000.000. Of this
amount over £3.400,000 was lost
by bettors..
On average, the gross y.early
profits of each shop were about
£ 1.400.
The use of wheat in the produc
tion of alcohol and beer should be
forbidden in Australia, to enable
the Commonwealth to contribute
more food to starving countries.
added Mr. Blanchard.
He suggested similar action to
that taken in the United States.
where the use of wheat in bever
age alcohol was banned and use
of other grains restricted to five
days a month.
The life and work committee
ielcomed the ban on drinking at
public dances. The principle of
total abstinence should be com
mended to church members.
Church Broadcasts
Mr. Blanchard said his commit
tce had tried to secure a place on
5KA's broadcasting roster for the
Port Adelaide church, but that
station refused to relay services
from more than one church of any
denomination. Therefore. 5KA
broadcasts had been allotted to
Scots Church.
His committee recommended
that assembly agree with the joint
council for religious instruction in
State schools. which has appealed
to co-operating churches to adopt
as an agreed syllabus the syllabus
prepared by the Victorian Council
for Christian Education in Schools.
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